The Salvation Army celebrates past, present and future at dedication in Henderson, N.C.

The Henderson, North Carolina, community celebrated the opening of the Edward W. Pou Moran Worship and Community Center Sunday, Nov. 10. In addition to worship services, the facility will host community, youth and recreation programs and will be the center for Salvation Army social service programs in the area.

The day's events included a worship service, ribbon-cutting ceremony and building dedication under the theme, "Pride of Our Past, Progress in the Present and Potential for the Future." Tours of the new facility were provided.

Lieutenants Derrick and Odessa Smith, Henderson corps officers, welcomed Lt. Colonels Jim and Linda Arrowood, North-South Carolina divisional leaders, and Captains Rick and Angie Langley, retired officers whose work helped lead to the erection of the new facility.

Also on hand were Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington and Pete O'Geary, former Henderson mayor and advisory board vice-chair.

The new facility is located on Ross Mill Road, adjacent to Vance Charter School. Moran, for whom the facility is named, grew up in Henderson and, after attending North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina and the University of Pennsylvania, served in the U.S. Air Force. He had a prosperous career in investment banking and contributed to many charities and causes, including The Salvation Army.

Illustrating the growth of The Salvation Army in Henderson, a junior soldier and two senior soldiers were enrolled in a ceremony led by Captains James and Lacy Parrish, NSC divisional youth leaders.